Staff Pick

The first to swim the Strait of Magellan, the Bering Strait, and the Cape of Good Hope, Lynne Cox, from the age of fourteen, began forcing the world's best long-distance swimmers to reconsider what might be possible in the water. Dive in and brace yourself for a thrilling athletic adventure. Recommended by Kyle, Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

At age fourteen, she swam twenty-six miles from Catalina Island to the California mainland.

At ages fifteen and sixteen, she broke the men's and women's world records for swimming the English Channel; a thirty-three-mile crossing in nine hours, thirty-six minutes.

At eighteen, she swam the twenty-mile Cook Strait between North and South Islands of New Zealand, was caught on a massive swell, found herself after five hours farther from the finish than when she started, and still completed the swim.

She was the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, the most treacherous three-mile stretch of water in the world.

The first to swim the Bering Strait (the channel that forms the boundary line between the United States and Russia) from Alaska to Siberia, thereby opening the U.S.-Soviet border for the first time in forty-eight years, swimming in thirty-eight-degree water in four-foot waves without a shark cage, wet suit, or lanolin grease.

The first to swim the Cape of Good Hope (a shark emerged from the kelp, its jaws wide open, and was shot as it headed straight for her).

In this extraordinary book, the world's most extraordinary distance swimmer writes about her emotional and spiritual need to swim and about the almost mystical act of swimming itself.

Lynne Cox trained hard from age nine, working with an Olympic coach, swimming five to twelve miles each day in the Pacific. At age eleven, she swam even when hail made the water "like cold tapioca pudding" and was told she would one day swim the English Channel. Four years later (not yet out of high school) she broke the men's and women's world records for the Channel swim. In 1987, she swam the Bering Strait from America to the Soviet Union; a feat that, according to Gorbachev, helped diminish tensions between Russia and the United States.

Lynne Cox's relationship with the water is almost mystical: she describes swimming as flying, and remembers swimming at night through flocks of flying fish the size of mockingbirds, remembers being escorted by a pod of dolphins that came to her off New Zealand.

She has a photographic memory of her swims. She tells us how she conceived of, planned, and trained for each, and re-creates for us the experience of swimming (almost) unswimmable bodies of water, including her most recent astonishing one-mile swim to Antarctica in thirty-two-degree water without a wet suit. She tells us how, through training and by taking advantage of her naturally plump physique, she is able to create more heat in the water than she loses.

Lynne Cox has swum the Mediterranean, the three-mile Strait of Messina, under the ancient bridges of Kunning Lake, below the old summer palace of the emperor of China in Beijing. Breaking records no longer interests her. She writes about the ways in which these swims instead became vehicles for personal goals, how she sees herself as the lone swimmer among the waves, pitting her courage against the odds, drawn to dangerous places and treacherous waters that, since ancient times, have challenged sailors in ships.

Review:

"Even though readers know she survived to tell the tale, it's a thrilling, awesome and well-written story." Publishers Weekly

Review:

Review:

"Her wide-eyed idealism may seem a little corny at first, but by the end we're rooting for her, wondering if brave and mostly solitary acts...don't bring us together after all." Booklist

Review:

"[Cox has] done things the rest of us only imagine — and she's written a book that helps us to imagine them with clarity and wonder." The Boston Globe

Review:

"More than the story of the greatest open-water swimmer, Swimming to Antarctica is a portrait of rare and relentless drive....Gripping." Sports Illustrated

Review:

"A tale of remarkable physical prowess and heart." Vogue

Review:

"Even a cursory read leaves one shivering for a warm towel." Entertainment Weekly

Review:

"A triumph of a positive outlook, hefty preparation, and raw courage." The Economist

Synopsis:

Newly Illustrated with Photos and Maps Throughout. Here is the joyful, inspirational memoir of swimmer Lynne Cox. By age sixteen, she had broken all records for English Channel swims, so she set her goals even higher: She became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. Her daring eventually led her to the thirty-eight-degree waters of the Bering Strait, which she crossed in her usual outfit — just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. She has even swum a mile in the iceberg-choked waters of the Antarctic. With a poet's eye for detail, Cox shares the beauty of her time in the water in this new classic of sports memoir.

Synopsis:

A captivating memoir of one womanandrsquo;s attempt to complete Alaskaandrsquo;s legendary race, the Iditarod, led by her team of huskies with whom she forms a fascinating and inextricable bond and gains unique insights into canine behavior

and#160;

and#160;

Synopsis:

A captivating memoir of one womanandrsquo;s attempt to finish the Iditarod, led by her team of spunky huskies with whom she shares a fascinating and inextricable bond

At age forty-seven, a mother of two, Debbie Moderow was not your average musher in the Iditarod, but thatandrsquo;s where she found herself when, less thanand#160;200 miles from the finish line, her dogs decided they didnandrsquo;t want to run anymore. After all her preparation, after all the careful management of her team, and after their running so well for over a week, the huskies balked. But the sting of not completing the race after coming so far was nothing compared to the disappointment Moderow felt in having lost touch with her dogs.and#160;

and#160;and#160;

Fast into the Night is the gripping story of Moderowandrsquo;s journeys along the Iditarod trail with her team of spunky huskies: Taiga and Su, Piney and Creek, Nacho and Zeppy, Juliet and the headstrong leader, Kanga. The first failed attempt crushed Moderowandrsquo;s confidence, but after reconnecting with her dogs she returned and ventured again to Nome, pushing through injuries,and#160; hallucinations, epic storms, flipped sleds, and clashing personalities, both human and canine. And she prevailed.and#160;

and#160;and#160;

Part adventure, part love story, part inquiry into the mystery of the connection between humans and dogs, Fast into the Night is an exquisitely written memoir of a woman, her dogs, and what can happen when someone puts herself in that place between daring and doubtandmdash;and soldiers on.

Synopsis:

Now in paperback, with photos and maps added especially for this new edition, here is the acclaimed life story of a woman whose drive and determination inspire everyone she touches.

Lynne Cox started swimming almost as soon as she could walk. By age sixteen, she had broken all records for swimming the English Channel. Her daring eventually led her to the Bering Strait, where she swam five miles in thirty-eight-degree water in just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. In between those accomplishments, she became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. She even swam a mile in the Antarctic.

Lynne writes the same way she swims, with indefatigable spirit and joy, and shares the beauty of her time in the water with a poet's eye for detail. She has accomplished yet another feat--writing a new classic of sports memoir.

About the Author

Lynne Cox has set records all over the world for open-water swimming. She was named Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year, inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2000, honored with a lifetime achievement award from the University of California-Santa Barbara, and worked for six years as a research librarian in Orange County. She lives in Los Alamitos, California.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Average customer rating based on 3 comments:

Bonnie Marie, January 1, 2013 (view all comments by Bonnie Marie)
This is the true story of a long-distance swimmer who repeatedly attempted swims that were deemed impossible. At a young age she swam from Catalina Island to the California mainland, the English Channel, the dirty Nile river, and continued to swim many difficult, if not impossible, swims around the world - setting records as she went. This book is at times a nail-biter and always inspiring. It's certainly worth checking out!

luv2read, September 29, 2007 (view all comments by luv2read)
This is an excellent book! I don't think you have to be a water baby to enjoy these tales of soggy adventure. I love that this woman has accomplished amazing physical feats and is nowhere near a size 2! She has used her talents to open doors and build bridges across cultures and politics. She is a wonderful example and embassador to be sure! Well-written too!

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No(4 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)

The first to swim the Strait of Magellan, the Bering Strait, and the Cape of Good Hope, Lynne Cox, from the age of fourteen, began forcing the world's best long-distance swimmers to reconsider what might be possible in the water. Dive in and brace yourself for a thrilling athletic adventure.

by Kyle

"Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"Even though readers know she survived to tell the tale, it's a thrilling, awesome and well-written story."

"Review"
by Booklist,
"Her wide-eyed idealism may seem a little corny at first, but by the end we're rooting for her, wondering if brave and mostly solitary acts...don't bring us together after all."

"Review"
by The Boston Globe,
"[Cox has] done things the rest of us only imagine — and she's written a book that helps us to imagine them with clarity and wonder."

"Review"
by Sports Illustrated,
"More than the story of the greatest open-water swimmer, Swimming to Antarctica is a portrait of rare and relentless drive....Gripping."

"Review"
by Vogue,
"A tale of remarkable physical prowess and heart."

"Review"
by Entertainment Weekly,
"Even a cursory read leaves one shivering for a warm towel."

"Review"
by The Economist,
"A triumph of a positive outlook, hefty preparation, and raw courage."

"Synopsis"
by Harcourt,
Newly Illustrated with Photos and Maps Throughout. Here is the joyful, inspirational memoir of swimmer Lynne Cox. By age sixteen, she had broken all records for English Channel swims, so she set her goals even higher: She became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. Her daring eventually led her to the thirty-eight-degree waters of the Bering Strait, which she crossed in her usual outfit — just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. She has even swum a mile in the iceberg-choked waters of the Antarctic. With a poet's eye for detail, Cox shares the beauty of her time in the water in this new classic of sports memoir.

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,
A captivating memoir of one womanandrsquo;s attempt to complete Alaskaandrsquo;s legendary race, the Iditarod, led by her team of huskies with whom she forms a fascinating and inextricable bond and gains unique insights into canine behavior

and#160;

and#160;

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,

A captivating memoir of one womanandrsquo;s attempt to finish the Iditarod, led by her team of spunky huskies with whom she shares a fascinating and inextricable bond

At age forty-seven, a mother of two, Debbie Moderow was not your average musher in the Iditarod, but thatandrsquo;s where she found herself when, less thanand#160;200 miles from the finish line, her dogs decided they didnandrsquo;t want to run anymore. After all her preparation, after all the careful management of her team, and after their running so well for over a week, the huskies balked. But the sting of not completing the race after coming so far was nothing compared to the disappointment Moderow felt in having lost touch with her dogs.and#160;

and#160;and#160;

Fast into the Night is the gripping story of Moderowandrsquo;s journeys along the Iditarod trail with her team of spunky huskies: Taiga and Su, Piney and Creek, Nacho and Zeppy, Juliet and the headstrong leader, Kanga. The first failed attempt crushed Moderowandrsquo;s confidence, but after reconnecting with her dogs she returned and ventured again to Nome, pushing through injuries,and#160; hallucinations, epic storms, flipped sleds, and clashing personalities, both human and canine. And she prevailed.and#160;

and#160;and#160;

Part adventure, part love story, part inquiry into the mystery of the connection between humans and dogs, Fast into the Night is an exquisitely written memoir of a woman, her dogs, and what can happen when someone puts herself in that place between daring and doubtandmdash;and soldiers on.

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,

Now in paperback, with photos and maps added especially for this new edition, here is the acclaimed life story of a woman whose drive and determination inspire everyone she touches.

Lynne Cox started swimming almost as soon as she could walk. By age sixteen, she had broken all records for swimming the English Channel. Her daring eventually led her to the Bering Strait, where she swam five miles in thirty-eight-degree water in just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. In between those accomplishments, she became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. She even swam a mile in the Antarctic.

Lynne writes the same way she swims, with indefatigable spirit and joy, and shares the beauty of her time in the water with a poet's eye for detail. She has accomplished yet another feat--writing a new classic of sports memoir.

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